Misplaced hen

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tash

tash

Songster
10 Years
Jun 5, 2009
167
42
181
ohio
My 10yo wanted to be nice and took one of our hens to the field next door (about 3/4 mile from the coop) to forage. If I had known I would have forbidden it. She blinked and now our wellsummer is missing. We looked together for about 45 min until it got too dark. Since it's so far I don't think she will be able to find her coop on her own (correct me if I am wrong, please).

Our plans to look tomorrow include:
taking our most talkative hen out in a cat carrier and hoping the lost hen hears her and comes out
watching the field (it's wheat) for movement
blindly walking the rows looking for a feather in a straw field

Is there anything else we can do besides assume the worst?
 
I hope she isn't
sickbyc.gif

You could try the hen in the cat carrier trick. But a rooster would be more effective. Hens will run to their favorite rooster when they hear him call. I hope you find her


BCP
 
Thanks. We don't currently have a roo (one in my av is long gone). It will have to be the hen this time. My daughter thought taking her 'best friend' (the one is is spotted with the most often) would work better, but I think taking the most talkative hen would work better. Do you think my daughter is right? Her "BFF" isn't very talkative. Or maybe the female leader? IDK. I don't think I have enough carriers for all of them.


Also she went missing in the middle of the field at dusk, considering the height of the wheat I think she wouldn't be able to find the treeline, but do you think we should start looking tomorrow where she was last seen, or closer to the trees?
 
I would start looking for her first thing in the morning
What I would do is put up a small fenced area in the wheat field, then put all your hens in the fenced area. And hopefully she will show up and come running to her friends. Put food and water in the pen also.



BCP
 
Thanks BoomChickaPop, I thought of that but I am afraid we will lose more. I thought about bringing them out in the dog crate which is larger, but they don't have much room in there. But we have two dog crates and could do 2 and 2. Problem with that is getting them out there. Dog crates are heavy and I will need to carry my 3yo as well.
 
OK my daughter looked for about 45 minutes this morning with the most talkative hen, I've been out here with our leader hen for maybe an hour but she's not making very much noise. how far do you think our lost hen would go? I would guess this field is about five acres. Do you think she would go towards the trees?
 
tash said:
OK my daughter looked for about 45 minutes this morning with the most talkative hen, I've been out here with our leader hen for maybe an hour but she's not making very much noise. how far do you think our lost hen would go? I would guess this field is about five acres. Do you think she would go towards the trees?
Click to expand...
If she's smart, I think first instinct would be to hide. If she hears you and is still alive, she'll come out -unless someone else found her.
 
ChickenLover200 said:
If she's smart, I think first instinct would be to hide. If she hears you and is still alive, she'll come out -unless someone else found her.
Click to expand...


This hen has always been the most hands off, doesn't always come out when she sees us, sometimes she comes over if she thinks we have treats but that's about it. but it's 5 acres I don't know if she'd be able to hear me.
 

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